They’re what connect us with each other—and with God. They paint vibrant pictures, shout or whisper, convey sorrow or instill joy. Words provide the glue that binds us together.

Language is so important, in fact, that Helen Keller called the sound of the voice “the most vital stimulus.” Blind and deaf from a young age, she concluded “after a lifetime of silence and darkness that to be deaf is a greater affliction than to be blind . . . To be deaf is to be isolated indeed.”

Whether you write or speak—or do both as I do—words comprise an important part of your life. So together let’s explore ways we can better use the gift of words to encourage and uplift one another.